When you begin to look for a home to rent or purchase you will encounter some terms, such as maisonette, house of character, and farmhouse, which are either unfamiliar or mean something different here in Gozo than they do in North America.  Read on so that these and other terms will no longer be a mystery!

Flat:  Flat is the British word for apartment and generally refers to a rental that is all on one level of a building.  A flat may be on the ground floor or on the first floor (second floor to North Americans) or higher.  If a flat is served by a lift (elevator) rather than just stairs it will usually say so in the listing.  Flats are the most economical housing, with rentals starting as low as Lm 80 per month.  Non-EU citizens may not purchase apartments for less than Lm 35,000 and it is possible to find a new, finished two-bedroomed flat for this price. 

House of Character:  A house of character is an old house with all the charm that that implies.  Houses of character may be town houses (with walls adjoining other houses) or freestanding on its own lot surrounded by gardens.  Houses of character frequently feature rustic stone walls, heavy wood beams, impressive arched windows and doorways, and floors of beautifully patterned tile.  Rentals of fully furnished and renovated houses with pool range from Lm 350 up to Lm 800 and higher per month.  Purchase prices range from Lm 125,000 to Lm 600,000 and higher to purchase a house of character that has been renovated and modernized (converted), less for homes that still need renovation.

Maisonette:  A maisonette is a flat or apartment that is all on one level and which has its own entrance to the outside to provide greater privacy.  Maisonette sizes range from single bedroom, single bath up to three bedrooms, two baths.  Rental and purchase prices for maisonettes tend to be somewhat higher than for flats without private entrances.

Farmhouse:  A farmhouse in Gozo is a house that does not necessarily have a large amount of land (land is scarce in Malta) but it will likely have at least three bedrooms and two bathrooms.  It may be old but recently renovated (converted) or newly-built and modern.  There is a lot of overlap between the terms house of character and farmhouse.  In Gozo, the term farmhouse means a (usually) freestanding home which is large, generally built in the old style and furnished luxuriously.  Many farmhouses have spacious terraced areas with pools that are perfect for entertaining, barbecuing, swimming, and just relaxing during our long summers.  In Gozo, farmhouses are the best and most sought-after homes, and it is easy to see why.  Rentals of fully furnished and renovated farmhouses with pool range from Lm 350 up to Lm 800 and higher per month.  Purchase prices range from Lm 125,000 to Lm 600,000 and higher to purchase a farmhouse that has been renovated and modernized (converted), less for homes that still need renovation.

Penthouse:  This is a familiar term to all of us of course, meaning an apartment on the top floor of  a building.  Penthouses are particularly prized in Gozo for the privacy and quiet one enjoys on the top floor.  It is also worth noting that Penthouses tend to have larger, more open terraces than the building's lower flats.  Penthouse with view rentals are perhaps 50 percent more expensive than comparable flats.  Finished three-bedroom, two bath penthouses with views sell for Lm 100,000 and up.